Security and safety processing by a vehicle based computer

Abstract

A vehicle computing device may receive, from a nearby vehicle, a packet with a safety control instruction having a security access code for a vehicle. A processor may be determine whether the security access code is valid and verify a security level associated with the security access code in order to process the safety control instruction.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A vehicle computing system, located in a vehicle, comprising:
 a transceiver; 
 an electronic positioning device; 
 a processor operatively coupled to the transceiver and the electronic positioning device; 
 the processor is configured to determine location of the vehicle with information from the electronic positioning device and to send the location to a remote vehicle management center; 
 the processor is configured to receive, from the remote vehicle management center via the transceiver over a cellular data network based on the location and a detected accident of the vehicle, an internet protocol (IP) packet with a safety control instruction having a security access code for the vehicle; 
 the processor configured to process the safety control instruction based on a comparison of a priority of the packet to other packets, wherein the safety control instruction triggers an alarm or alert in the vehicle; 
 wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether the security access code is valid and to verify a security level associated with the security access code in order to process the safety control instruction; and 
 the processor configured to setup voice communications between the vehicle computing system and the remote vehicle management center based on the security level. 
 
     
     
       2. The vehicle computing system of  claim 1  further comprising:
 the transceiver is configured to receive authorization from a mobile unit to authorize the processing of the safety control instruction. 
 
     
     
       3. The vehicle computing system of  claim 1  further comprising:
 the processor is configured to transmit, when the security access code is invalid via the transceiver, an alert to a mobile unit or a law enforcement system. 
 
     
     
       4. The vehicle computing system of  claim 3 , wherein an invalid security access code indicates that the vehicle was stolen. 
     
     
       5. A method performed by a vehicle computing system located in a vehicle, the method comprising:
 determining, by a processor, location of the vehicle with information from an electronic positioning device; 
 sending, by the vehicle computing system, the location to a remote vehicle management center; 
 receiving, from the remote vehicle management center by the processor via a transceiver over a cellular data network based on the location and a detected accident of the vehicle, an internet protocol (IP) packet with a safety control instruction having a security access code for the vehicle; 
 determining, by the processor, whether the security access code is valid; 
 processing the safety control instruction based on a comparison of a priority of the packet to other packets, wherein the safety control instruction triggers an alarm or alert in the vehicle; 
 verifying, by the processor, a security level associated with the security access code in order to process the safety control instruction; and 
 setting up, by the vehicle computing system, voice communications between the vehicle computing system and the remote vehicle management center based on the security level. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5  further comprising:
 receiving, by the transceiver, authorization from a mobile unit to authorize the processing of the safety control instruction. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 5  further comprising:
 transmitting, when the security access code is invalid by the processor via the transceiver, an alert to a mobile unit or a law enforcement system. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein an invalid security access code indicates that the vehicle was stolen.